


After the Fact

by Kerkerian



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Aftermath, Bit of Fluff, Danny's got things to say, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s02e22 Ua Hopu (Caught), Gen, M/M, Missing Scene, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 07:02:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14396781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerkerian/pseuds/Kerkerian
Summary: Missing scene for S02e22 ("Ua Hopu"/"Caught"): Steve returns, having brought Wo Fat back to Hawaii. That doesn't automatically mean all is well, at least not where Danny is concerned.





	After the Fact

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Five-0.
> 
> Furthermore: this can be read as heavy bromance, but feel free to put your McDanno goggles on, then it's probably pre-slash. =)

 

Deep down, Danny is seething. As usual, his resolve to punish Steve melts away as soon as he sees the big goof, battered and exhausted as he is. It isn't the right moment for a proper scolding anyway, considering, so he reigns himself in and books Wo Fat, as ordered. Once the man is sitting in the police car, Steve seems to relax; it is Kono who gets in the first hug, followed by Chin.

Since Danny is still officially pissed, his own version of a hug once he has joined the rest of the team turns out a bit offish, with their arms between Steve and him, as if neither of them are prepared to actually let the other draw too close.

He has thought about this moment, even if he wasn't always convinced it'd ever come, and it is a bit of a letdown in comparison. After all this time which had him lying awake at night worrying, hell, after this _day,_ he can't but feel disappointed. A little betrayed, even, but then Steve puts his arm around him in what is resembling a choke-hold, and Danny reflexively puts a steadying hand on Steve's chest, and that's all he needs to finally allow his relief to make itself known, resulting in vaguely weak knees.

It's a mutual thing, apparently, because Steve doesn't let go of him for the next few minutes, and Danny only half listens to the conversation since he's too busy with the butterflies in his stomach and the anger which is still there and the relief and the overall sensation of having Steve back.

 

“I'm taking you home,” he says once they've talked to HPD and said their goodbyes to Chin and Kono.

Steve frowns: “Whose car is this?”

“I dunno. Get in.”

“Did you _steal_ a car?”

“Shut up. Why would I steal a car!”

“Danno-”

“Don't Danno me.”

Steve sighs, but gets in on the passenger side for once without further discussion; maybe he's tired. Or worse.

Danny pauses: “Are you injured?”

“No.”

“Huh.” Danny turns the key in the ignition but refrains from telling Steve what will happen if he's lying about this.

 

The first few minutes they drive along in silence.

“Where are we going?” Steve eventually asks once he realizes that they're not headed towards his house.

“To get _my_ car.”

“What happened, Danny?”

Danny sighs; he isn't in the mood to talk, and he's tired as well. But he knows Steve well enough to be aware that he won't give it any rest, so he tells him about his day.

When he's finished, Steve's jaw is working in a way which means he'd like to have a word with that CIA guy and preferably blow up his whole department along the way.

 

The Camaro is parked outside of Iolani Palace where Danny left it.

Still without talking, they switch cars.

“Look, I'm sorry,” Steve eventually says.

“Oh no.” Danny shakes his head. “We're not doing this in the car, not this time.”

“What do you mean, not this time?”

Instead of replying though, Danny just purses his lips and keeps his eyes on the road.

Steve sighs again; he should have known that this was going to be difficult.

 

Danny accompanies Steve into the house. As soon as the door closes behind him, he stops: “Steve.”

When his partner turns around to him, Danny shoves him, hard enough for Steve to stumble backwards: “Hey! What was that for?”

“You just left!” Danny's eyes are flashing, and Steve realizes just how angry he is; he should probably be glad that Danny didn't punch him. Which is kind of surprising, given how they all but cuddled about half an hour ago.

“You wrote a measly note and didn't once answer my calls or even call me back. How do you think that felt, huh?”

Stunned, Steve stares at him: “I had to find Shelburne, Danny! I thought I had made myself clear!”

Danny doesn't budge: “Oh yes, you made yourself very clear! You made it clear that you don't need anyone else as long as you can be out there playing Captain America!”

He doesn't care whether he's being unfair right now; it feels so good to finally vent and being able to say these things.

Steve shakes his head: “That's not what I was doing!”

“So enlighten me- what _were_ you doing? Because you could as well have been dead for the last few weeks! I didn't know where you were, I didn't know if you were okay, and you didn't even have the courtesy to send a message-” He stops himself. Not the point. Steve doesn't need to know that Danny's spent his entire birthday waiting for a sign of life from his partner. Who, judging by his suddenly crestfallen expression, does remember it right now.

“It's classified,” he says meekly. “I'm sorry.”

“Class- _really_? How is it classified when it isn't even an official assignment? Or is there something else you're not telling me?”

Steve stares at him, hands on his hips, but Danny refuses to back off and stares right back until Steve exhales somewhat strainedly: “As long as I don't know what or who Shelburne is, I have to be careful,” he says softly. “I don't want to put anyone else in danger.”

"Oh, but it's okay for you to put yourself in jeopardy?"

"See, that's why I didn't call you before I left. You'd have tried to talked me out of it. Or insisted on coming with me."

"Would that have been so bad?"

"No, Danny," Steve's voice is becoming brittle. "On the contrary. That's why I couldn't do it. You're needed here, where your kids are."

He looks very weary now, and Danny does his best not to commiserate with him. He realizes that he hasn't gotten any real answers yet and probably won't, so he keeps up the stare a bit longer: "Still."

For a long moment, they remain like that until Steve eventually rolls his eyes and takes a step towards Danny, and then another, until he is standing right in front of him: “Danno,” he says tentatively, and this time, Danny doesn't protest because this is Steve whom he's missed so much that it was like an itch on his skin. Steve whose eyes are huge and a little pleading now. Danny thinks he's lost some weight; the past weeks probably haven't been a walk in the park for him either, no matter how he usually thrives on those sneaky SEAL things.

“Don't do something like this again,” he grumbles; damn heart.

The corners of Steve' mouth quirk upwards a little: “I'll try not to.”

Danny sighs and opens his arms: “Come here, then.”

Now this is the hug Danny was thinking about during the time they were apart: they wrap their arms around one another firmly so that they can feel each other's heartbeats; Steve's hand cups Danny's neck as they burrow into each other with more abandon than seems appropriate, but it serves to soothe their bruised hearts and they stay like this until the tension has seeped away and they are both much calmer.

“It's not that I don't need you,” Steve eventually murmurs, his hot, humid breath ghosting over Danny's skin.

“I know,” Danny replies softly, but it's good to hear it nevertheless. He pulls back a little so that he can look Steve over: “We should get the blood off and some iodine on you. And then you can tell me how you managed to turn that plane into a helicopter.”

Steve smiles his endearingly goofy smile: “Okay.”

 

Much later that night, when Danny is already home and has just gone to bed, he gets a text from Steve: _Happy belated birthday, Danno. Dinner on me tomorrow?_

Danny texts him back: _Thanks. Yeah, okay, but I'll need to see your wallet first._

For the first time in weeks, he's asleep within minutes.

 

The End

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I'm not a Native Speaker, therefore I apologize for any mistakes.


End file.
